Stitchers: Ilse Loos-Simpelaar, Patricia Quist, Ellen Rijkse-Blick, Ineke van der Gruiter, Elisabeth Dolleman & Dorothee Sybenga
The Scottish community in Veere enjoyed the benefits of its own areas in the church and cemetery, meaning that services, marriages, baptisms and funerals could all take place according to Scottish custom. Services were held in the northern section of the hall chancel, discrete from the main body of the church. By 1613 Veere was hosting the first Scots Presbyterian kirk in Europe.
The left hand side of this panel shows Rev Alexander McDuff in 1614, who was the first Scottish clergymen in office in Veere. To the right is the last, Rev Lickly, who held a moving farewell service when the kirk was closed in 1799 after the French invasion. Here the two ministers are shown preaching from the pulpit, which was sold to the reformed church of Westkapelle in 1837, where it fell victim to aerial bombing by the Allies in 1944.
The upper border of the panel shows four engraved communion cups which were commissioned for Scots kirk in 1620. Made by Isak de Cliever from Middelburg, there measure 16cm high. The bottom of the goblets bear the inscription “Brotherlie Love is Good and Pleasant” from Psalm 133, and the panel’s centrepiece reflects the engravings on the cups.
The bottom right corner of the panel recalls a story that, in 1621, two bells for St Giles in Edinburgh* and one for the city’s Netherbow Port were foundered in Veere (or “Campvere”). The Netherbow bell now hangs at the Scottish Storytelling Centre near the site of the old gate, and bears an inscription stating that it was in fact made in Middelburg by one Michael Burgerhuis. The city of Middelburg is about 10km from Veere.
Royal Burghs are listed at the bottom: Annan, Lochmaban (Lochmaben), Sancher (Sanquhar), Galloway, Queensferry, Perth, Saint Andros (Saint Andrews), Dysert (Dysart), Montrose, Cowpar (Cupar), Anstuther Easter (Anstruther), North Berwick, St. Ilhonstoun (Johnstone).
* when exhibited in St Giles Cathedral in 2018 this panel was stolen for a short period but returned with a letter of profound regret 3 months later!
NL05 An Eaglais
Bha a’ choimhearsnachd Albannach ann an Veere a’ gabhail tlachd à buannachdan a raointean coisrigte fhèin an taobh a-staigh na h-eaglaise agus a’ chladh, a’ ciallachadh gum faodadh seirbheisean, pòsaidhean, baistidhean agus tiodhlachaidhean àite a ghabhail a rèir nan gnàthasan Albannach. Ann an 1613, bha Veere a’ toirt aoigheachd don chiad eaglais Chlèireach Albannaich san Roinn Eòrpa. B’ e an t-Urramach Alasdair MacDuff a’ chiad chlèireach Albannach san dreuchd an sin agus chùm an t-Urramach Lickly seirbheis dhrùidhteach an sin nuair a dhùin an eaglais ann an 1799. Tha an dithis gan sealltainn a’ searmonachadh bhon chùbaid. Bha ceithir cupannan comain snaighte air an coimiseanadh don eaglais Albannach ann an 1620, agus tha am pìos aig teis-meadhain a’ phannail a’ nochdadh nan gràbhailean mionaideach air na cupannan.